Lecture notes Qualitative research techniques YSS-20306

Qualitative research techniques – Lecture notes

Lecture 1

Materials
- Course guide (see appendix B)
- Assignments Guide Qualitative Research Techniques
- Report: Explaining Social Exclusion (SCP, 2007)
- Exam literature: Boeije (2010) and O’Leary (2004)

Quantitative versus qualitative research

Quantitative
- Collecting & analyzing numbers
- Counting (how many/often)
- Looking for regularities
- Standardized measurement instruments
- Mostly: testing hypothesis/ theory (deductive approach)
- Large sample of research units (random sampling)

Qualitative
- Collecting & analyzing words
- Understanding (Why, how)
- Looking for specifics
- Researcher is (part of) the measurement instrument
- Mostly: creating hypothesis/ theory (inductive approach)
- Small sample of research units (purposive sampling)

- Choosing between a quantitative or qualitative approach  Researcher paradigm
(ontology/epistemology)
o Empirical-analytical approach (neopositivism)
 Nomothetic knowledge
 Reductionist research (= reduce complex reality to make research compact)
 Standardized methods (standardized questionnaire, standardized survey)
 Replicable
 Non-normative
o Empirical-interpretive approach  the world is a social construct
 Ideographic knowledge (more interested in specific cases = qualitative)
 Holistic research (interview 12 units and
incorporate as many aspects of their lives as
possible  see the unit more as a whole)
 Unstandardized methods (interviews,
observations  allowed to improvise and adapt
measurements)
 More difficult to replicate
 Non-normative? (the researcher probably has
influence on the research)
- Choosing between a quantitative or qualitative approach
 Pragmatic stance: look at the research purpose/question!
- Combining quantitative and qualitative research

Goal: Generation and verification of theories
Start: Knowledge problem
Phases:
- Theory development  observation + induction

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,- Theory testing  deduction + testing of hypothesis + evaluation

Three key characteristics of qualitative research
Qualitative research is about (Boeije, 2010):
- Looking for meaning = trying to understand why people behave the way they do and
why they have certain perspectives
- Using flexible research methods = adapt research instruments during the research
(unstandardized)
- Providing qualitative findings = no graphs or key values, accounts of key findings
supported by quotes

Grounded theory approach
Systematically collecting and analysing data step-by-step in order to develop theory
Data analysis  Data collection
 After the first interview, directly transcript and analyze and improve the second interview
by the findings from the first analysis

Qualitative data-sources & methods




Quality criteria of qualitative research
- Reliability  Will repeated measurements yield the same results?
- Measurement/internal validity
 Measurement validity: do we really measure what we want to measure?
 Internal: are our conclusions correct?
- External validity  Can we generalize the conclusions based on our sample to the
population (and other populations/ situations)?




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, The qualitative research process




 Ensure the quality through every step of the research!

Literature review
Why do a literature review?
- To find out what is already known on your topic
- To identify a knowledge gap
- To formulate a proper research purpose and question
- To learn about limitations/opportunities in the field
- To facilitate the development of measurement instruments
- To facilitate the data-analysis (e.g. identifying definitive and sensitizing concepts,
deductive codes)

Different types of literature reviews
- Traditional (non-systematic) literature review = not replicable
- Systematic literature review = document every step you take during literature search
- Meta-synthesis (qualitative)
- Meta-analysis (quantitative)

Sampling in qualitative research
- Research (a.k.a. study or target) population  the group from which you select/sample
research
units and to which you would like to generalize your findings
- Define your population!
o Use characteristics (e.g. age, organization type) to determine the boundaries of the
population
o Identify relevant subgroups within the population
o Possibly: distinguish research units from informants (ethically not okay to interview
kids (research units), so the researcher interviews their parents)

Sampling in qualitative research (example)
- RQ: What activities do patients’ associations perform to improve the social integration of
their members?
- Research population: “patients’ associations”
- In the Netherlands?
o Representing people with a mental/physical illness?
- Relevant subgroups
o Small (<1000 members) versus large (>1000 members)
o Mental versus physical illness

RQ: What problems do disabled people experience when travelling with public transport?
- Research population: “disabled people”
o In the Netherlands?

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